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Transcript/ScriptRussia Nuclear Treaty
HEADLINE: Nuclear Arms Race Fears as Russia Suspends Treaty
TEASER: New START treaty is last remaining nuclear agreement between Russia and United States
PUBLISHED AT: 2/23/23 at 9:45 p
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Bowman, DJ balance
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, APTN, Reuters, AFP
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((INTRO))
[[There are fears of a new global nuclear arms race after Russia’s president announced this week that he will suspend the country's participation in the New START treaty, which limits the number of warheads deployed by Russia and the United States. Henry Ridgwell reports.]]
((NARRATOR))
The New START treaty is the last remaining nuclear agreement between the United States and Russia…
… signed in 2010 by then U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev.
This week, President Vladimir Putin announced he was suspending Russia’s participation — saying the treaty was "absurd" at a time when NATO was helping Ukraine fight Russian forces. He said he had ordered Russia’s ground-based nuclear weapons to combat readiness — and pledged further investment.
((Vladimir Putin, Russian President (in Russian) ))
“We will continue mass production of air-based hypersonic Kinzhal systems and will start mass supplies of sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles.”
((NARRATOR))
But analysts say Moscow’s suspension of the nuclear treaty is unlikely to have an immediate impact.
((Ian Hurd, Northwestern University Political Science Professor))
“It was going to expire anyway, so having the end of the treaty come is not going to change very much in the substance of military relations between the two.”
((NARRATOR))
Russia and the United States together hold over 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. The New START treaty limits both sides to 1,550 warheads — and allows each side to inspect the other’s nuclear sites.
The inspections were put on hold three years due to the pandemic – and have not resumed, which Washington blames on Moscow.
((Jane Kinninmont, European Leadership Network))
“It is in both countries interests because it put limits on the nuclear arms race. And ultimately the U.S. can outspend Russia if it wants to; it's a much bigger economy. More likely, Russia wants to use this as a bargaining chip to say to the Biden administration, ‘Your support for Ukraine has costs.’”
((NARRATOR))
U.S. President Joe Biden called Russia’s suspension of New START a ‘grave error.’ The United Nations secretary-general called for Moscow to return to the deal.
Despite warming ties between Beijing and Moscow, China Wednesday also called for Russia and the U.S. to abide by the nuclear agreement.
((Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson (in Mandarin) ))
“We hope the two sides will properly resolve their differences through constructive dialogue to ensure the smooth implementation of the treaty.”
((NARRATOR))
There are fears of an arms race not only between Russia and the United States – but also among other nuclear powers, including China.
((Jane Kinninmont, European Leadership Network))
“How can anyone make the case to China that they need to limit their program if the U.S. and Russia have no limits on theirs?”
((NARRATOR))
President Putin said – without citing evidence – that some in the U.S. were considering restarting atomic tests, and if so, Russia would conduct its own. The United States, Russia, France, Britain and China stopped nuclear testing in the 1990s.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
London
Embargo DateFebruary 23, 2023 22:15 EST
Byline((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
